Exploring Morse code

Introduction

Welcome to the first major project tutorial. In this tutorial we’re going to learn about Morse code. Morse code is a way of sending messages using a single signal. It was invented in the 19th Century and is still in use today by amateur radio enthusiasts all over the world.

Here’s Tara at 5 years old using Morse code to communicate over Ham Radio:

We’re going to learn Morse code for a different reason to Tara. The ATTiny85 has 8 pins that you can use with other components. Some of these pins are already used for things like USB. Sometimes you need information from the HIDIOT but don’t have many free pins.

Morse code can work with a light, a buzzer or anything that can be used to send a signal. If you need the HIDIOT to tell you something complex, it’s the most efficient way for it to tell you.

In this project tutorial you will learn:

Morse code basics

How to ‘copy’ Morse code

How to use a Morse code tree to convert between Morse and the Latin alphabet

Control structures

How to use the different types of memory available in the HIDIOT

Lets look at the projects in this tutorial.

Understanding Morse Code

In this project, we learn how to copy Morse code signals, and how to translate them into text. We learn how to use a Morse code tree to convert between text and Morse code. We then look for, decode and translate secret government messages hidden in pop music.

A watery grave

This project is about improving our Morse code skills and introducing some programming concepts. The RMS Titanic sunk in the Atlantic in 1912 after hitting an iceberg. The ship had the most advanced Morse code radio technology of the day. We decode real messages from the night the ship sank to find out what happened and whether or not the ship could’ve avoided the disaster that claimed 1500 lives.

A watery grave should take around 60 minutes, possibly much longer including breaks and videos. We’ve added suggested break points throughout this project.

Build a Morse code messenger

Now we know how Morse code works, we should use it! We’ll use code from the Titanic project to make a Morse code messenger, then separate it from our main code so we can reuse it in other projects. We’ll also look at the different types of memory available on the HIDIOT and how to use them to best effect.

Build a Morse code messenger should take no more than 30-45 minutes including breaks.